The Shirley Bird Perry University of Texas Oral History Project

The Shirley Bird Perry University of Texas Oral History Project (2005-2011) was a collaboration between the Office of the President and the Briscoe Center to capture the history of the university. Interviewees include individuals who had an enormous impact on the university over the second half of the twentieth century including former presidents and vice presidents, distinguished faculty, longtime administrators, staff members, and active alumni, as well as system regents and chancellors. The audio and video tapes of the interviews, as well as transcripts, are available in the University Archives at the center.

Overview
Selected Topics
Interviews List
Excerpts

The University of Texas has been shaped by people—fascinating, visionary, controversial, dedicated, diverse people. In order to capture the firsthand experiences of some who have helped build and mold the institution, the Office of the President and The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History have collaborated on The Shirley Bird Perry University of Texas Oral History Project. The effort is designed to expand and enhance the university’s archives by recording the viewpoints and perspectives of some who have been centrally involved in its growth and development. The resulting interviews provide primary source material for students, faculty, staff, alumni, researchers, and anyone interested in Texas and higher education. These candid and detailed interviews capture not only the extraordinary experiences and insights of those who shaped The University of Texas, but they also capture the very spirit and character of the State of Texas itself.

Interviewees include individuals who had an enormous impact on the University over the second half of the twentieth century. Among those interviewed are former presidents and vice presidents, distinguished faculty, longtime administrators, staff members, active alumni, and several members of The University of Texas System Board of Regents, as well as former UT System chancellors. Interviewees are selected by the project team from a comprehensive database of potential candidates. The audio and video tapes of the interviews, as well as transcripts, are available in the University Archives at The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

Supported by UT President William Powers, Jr. and former UT President Larry R. Faulkner, the project was founded by Shirley Bird Perry, and was directed by Don Carleton, director of The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Oral historians Erin Purdy and Erica Lies conducted the interviews in the collection. Ralph Elder and Mary Ellen Oliver coordinated archival research and provided special support.

The following is a representative list of topics and perspectives resulting from the oral history interviews.

Growth and expansion of the UT System
UT’s relationship with the Texas Legislature
The Permanent and Available University Funds
The appointment and tenure of Regents
How Regents select their Chairs
Frank Erwin’s years on the Board of Regents
What Chancellors do
How UT Presidents get appointed (and removed)
UTIMCO—how UT makes investments

“A University of the First Class”: Fulfilling the Constitutional mandate
External Assessments: The Committee of 75, the Centennial Commission
and the Commission of 125
The MARS Group: What it was and why it matters
Establishing a campus-wide Honor Code

University administration and organization
How UT celebrates its birthdays
Sweatt vs. Painter, the case that integrated the School of Law
Perspectives on integration—1950s through the 1990s
The Hopwood Decision of 1996
UT goes to war: WWII and beyond
From G.I.s to IPods: The changing student body
Public perceptions of UT
Tower triumphs and tragedies
Tower lights and the Tower carillon
Turbulent times: From Rainey to Vietnam
UT and the City of Austin
The art and the science of fundraising
Managing enrollment and admissions
UT and the arts
UT’s association with U.S. Presidents
The changing roles of women
UT in the news

Faculty governance
Academic freedom
Curriculum reform
Takes on tenure
Faculty recruitment and retention
Clash of the Titans: Erwin, Silber, and the 1970 Reorganization of the College of Arts and Sciences
Publish or perish
Teaching and/vs. research
Plan II—Seven decades of excellence
Endowments for students and faculty
The story behind 32 $1 million chairs in science and engineering
Establishment of the LBJ School of Public Affairs
How the Michener Center for Writers came to be
The Jackson School of Geosciences: What a transformational gift can do

Historical perspectives on UT research
How research is funded
UT’s research campus—Balcones/Pickle Research Center
Texas’ bid for the Superconducting Supercollider
National Races: How MCC and Sematech came to Austin
A focus on Molecular Biology

Recruitment and retention of minority students
The Rio Grande Valley Honors Banquets
The Top Ten Percent Law
The South Texas/Border Initiative
UT and A&M Outreach Centers
Establishment of the Mexican American Studies program
A focus on African and African American Studies

Building and maintaining a great library
The thrill of the chase: Collecting collections at UT
Acquisition of the Gutenberg Bible
How UT got the Pforzheimer Collection
The James and Mari Michener Collection and its arrival on The Forty Acres
A collection coup: The Suida-Manning Collection

Campus Master Plans—Paul Cret to the present
How UT builds buildings
Some notes on campus statuary
Campus Jewels—the Ransom Center, the Erwin Center, and the Blanton Museum

Perspectives on UT students and student life
Class registration: From Gregory Gym to Web 2.0
Bevo travels to Notre Dame
The Longhorn Band goes to Washington
The Daily Texan—raising Cain since 1900
Students Association and student government
The Texas Union: Seventy-Five years of campus life
How student fees get levied
The Greek student culture
The continuing battle against hazing
“The Eyes of Texas”—More than an alma mater
UT service organizations: Orange Jackets, Cowboys, and Silver Spurs
The work of the Counseling and Psychological Services Center

“It wouldn’t be Texas without the Exes”
Texas Exes over 125 years
UT’s highest award: The Distinguished Alumnus Award
A great partnership: Texas Exes and scholarships
Longhorn Opportunity Scholarships

Football and the UT culture
From the Southwest Conference to the Big XII
Growth of Women’s Athletics
Longhorn coaches
Those Championship Seasons
The Impact of Title IX
Heisman Trophies (Earl Campbell & Ricky Williams)
Expansion of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
On the Importance of the Athletics Director

Alphabetical
Categorical

Allen J. Bard
Louis A. Beecherl
Robert M. Berdahl
Margaret C. Berry
Harold W. Billings
Jack S. Blanton
J. Harold “Hal” Box
R. D. (Dan) Burck
John S. Chase
Harley R. Clark
Barbara Smith Conrad
Jody Conradt
Denton A. Cooley
William H. Cunningham
Frank W. Denius
Arthur H. Dilly
Vincent R. DiNino
James T. Doluisio
Sheldon Ekland-Olson
Larry R. Faulkner
Peter T. Flawn
Betty Sue Flowers
Miguel Gonzalez-Gerth
Frank Graydon
Norman Hackerman
Jess Hay
Forest G. Hill
James L. Hill
R. Rolando Hinojosa-Smith
Zan W. Holmes
Ira Iscoe
Joseph D. Jamail
Elizabeth Woodward Jones
Bryce Jordan
Dean Justice
Sharon H. Justice
Robert D. King
Thos. H. Law
Charles A. LeMaistre
William S. Livingston
Amy Jo Long
Donna A. Lopiano
Wales H. Madden, Jr.
Hans M. Mark
Reuben McDaniel
John J. McKetta, Jr.
Harry Middleton
Beryl Buckley Milburn
Stephen A. Monti
Mario E. Ramirez
James R. Roach
Elspeth Rostow
Max Sherman
John Silber
Max Sherman
Eldon Sutton
Larry Temple
Roy Vaughan
James W. Vick
Donald Weismann
Paul B. Woodruff
Lewis W. Wright

*Individuals listed may appear in multiple categories.

Robert M. Berdahl, President 1993–1997
William H. Cunningham, President 1985–1992
Larry R. Faulkner, President 1998–2006
Peter T. Flawn, President 1979–1985; President ad interim 1997–1998
Norman Hackerman, UT President 1967–1970
Bryce Jordan, President ad interim 1970–1971
William S. Livingston, Acting President 1992–1993

Louis A. Beecherl, Member 2/1987–2/1993; Chairman 2/2/1989–2/16/1993
Jack S. Blanton, Member 2/1985–2/1991; Chairman 6/11/1987–3/2/1989
Jess Hay, Member 1/1977–1/1983 and 4/1983–2/1989; Chairman 2/14/1985–6/11/1987
Zan W. Holmes, Member 2/1991–2/1997
Thos. H. Law, Member 1/1975–1/1981
Wales H. Madden, Jr., Member 3/1959–1/1965
Beryl Buckley Milburn, Member 1/1981–2/1987
Mario E. Ramirez, Member 2/1989–2/1995

R.D. (Dan) Burck, Chancellor 2000–2002
William H. Cunningham, Chancellor 1992–2000
Charles A. LeMaistre, Chancellor 1971–1978
Hans M. Mark, Chancellor 1984–1992

Margaret C. Berry, Associate Dean of Women 1962–1968; Assistant Dean of Students 1968–1970; Associate Dean of Students 1970–1971; Director, Research and Developmental Programs, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs 1971–1976; Director, University Writings Collection and Assistant Director, University History Project 1976–1980
Hal Box, Dean, School of Architecture 1976-1992
Jody Conradt, Athletic Director, Intercollegiate Athletics for Women 1992-2001; Basketball Coach, Intercollegiate Athletics for Womwn 1978-2007; Assistant Athletic Director, IAW 1976-1992; Basketball and Volleyball Coach, IAW 1976-1978
William H. Cunningham, Dean, College of Business Administration and Graduate School of Business 1982-1985; Associate Dean of Graduate School of Business 1976–1982
Arthur H. Dilly, Executive Secretary Emeritus to the UT System Board of Regents 1998; Secretary of the UT System Board of Regents 1981–1998; UT System Administrator in Health Affairs and the Office of the Chancellor 1968–1981
Vincent R. DiNino, Director of Longhorn Band 1955–1975
James T. Doluisio, Dean, College of Pharmacy 1973-1998
Sheldon Ekland-Olson, Director, School of Human Ecology 2010-present; Director, Division of Statistics and Scientific Computation 2007-present; Executive Vice President and Provost 1998-2006; Dean, College of Liberal Arts 1993-1998; Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts 1991-1993; Special Assistant to the Chancellor 1988-1991
Betty Sue Flowers, Director of Plan II 1987-1992; Associate Dean of Graduate Studies 1979-1982 and 1988; Director, Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library 2002-2009
Miguel Gonzalez-Gerth, Editor, Texas Quarterly 1972-1978; Acting Chairman, Department of Spanish and Portuguese 1983-1984; Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts 1985-1988
Frank Graydon, Director of Budget Emeritus, UT System 1993; Director of Budget 1969–1993; Budget Officer, UT System 1955–1969; Assistant Professor of Accounting 1944–1950
James L. Hill, Senior Vice President, 2007–present; Vice President for Community and School Relations 2000–2006; Vice President for Human Resources and Community Relations 1998–2000; Associate Vice President for Administration and Public Affairs 1993–1998
R. Rolando Hinojosa-Smith, Director, Texas Center for Writers (later named Michener Center for Writers) 1986–1992
Robert D. King, Dean, College of Liberal Arts 1979-1990; Acting Dean, College of Liberal Arts 1991-1993; Dean, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences 1976-1979; Associate Dean, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences 1974-1976
Ira Iscoe, Director, Counseling and Psychological Services 1968–1978; Director, Plan II Honors Program 1981–1986
Bryce Jordan, Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, UT System 1983-1990; Vice President for Student Affairs 1968–1970
Dean Justice, Director, Frank C. Erwin Special Events Center 1976–1990
Sharon H. Justice, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students 1985-2001; Associate Dean of Students 1982-1985; Assistant Dean of Students and Coordinator of Orientation 1976-1982
Amy Jo Long, Director, UT News & Information Service 1969–1985; Associate Director 1967–1969; Assistant Director and Editor 1962–1967; Informational Writer 1951–1962
William S. Livingston, Vice President and Dean of Graduate Studies 1980–1995
Donna A. Lopiano, Athletic Director, Intercollegiate Athletics for Women 1975-1992
Harry Middleton, Director, Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library, 1970-2001
John J. McKetta, Jr., Dean, College of Engineering 1963–1969
Stephen A. Monti, Executive Vice Provost 2007-2010; interim Executive Vice President and Provost 2006; Executive Vice Provost 1998-2006; Provost ad interim 1997-1998; Vice Provost 1986-1997; Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research 1985-1986; Associate Vice President for Academic Administration 1984-1985; Associate Vice President for Academic Planning 1981-1984; Acting Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs 1981; Assistant to the President 1974-1981
Elspeth Rostow, Dean, LBJ School of Public Affairs 1977–1983; Dean, Division of General and Comparative Studies 1975–1977; Acting Dean, Division of General and Comparative Studies 1974–1975
John Silber, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences 1967–1970
Max Sherman, Dean, LBJ School of Public Affairs 1983-1997
Eldon Sutton, Vice President for Research 1975–1979
Roy Vaughan, Executive Director, Ex Students Association (now Texas Exes) 1976-1994; Field Representative of Ex Students Association 1965-1976
James W. Vick, Vice President for Student Affairs 1989–2005
Paul B. Woodruff, Dean, Undergraduate Studies 2006-2012; Director, Plan II 1991-2006; Chairman, Faculty Senate 1996-1997; Chairman, Department of Philosophy 1988-1991; Assistant Chairman, Department of Philosophy 1976-1978 and 1979-1981
Lewis W. Wright, Associate Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs, UT System 1993–2004; Assistant then Associate Vice President for Administration, UT Austin 1987–1993; Assistant Dean, College of Business Administration 1984–1986

Allen J. Bard, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry 1960–present; Instructor 1958–1960
Margaret C. Berry, Instructor, General Studies 1968–1980; Instructor in Freshman Seminars Program 1995–2003
Harold W. Billings, Director of General Libraries 1978-2003; Acting Director of General Libraries 1977-1978; Associate Director of General Libraries 1972-1977; Assistant University Librarian 1967-1972; Chief Acquisitions Librarian 1965-1967; Assistant Chief Catalog Librarian 1957-1965; Senior Library Assistant 1954-1957
Hal Box, Professor Emeritus of Architecture 1998; Professor of Architecture 1976-1998
William H. Cunningham, Professor of Marketing 1971–present
Vincent R. DiNino, Professor Emeritus and Director of Bands Emeritus 1985; Professor of Music 1955-1985
Sheldon Ekland-Olson, Professor of Sociology 1971-present
Larry R. Faulkner, Professor of Chemistry 1983–1984
Peter T. Flawn, Professor of Geology 1960–1970; Professor of Geological Sciences 1970–1985
Betty Sue Flowers, Professor Emeritus of English 2009; Professor of English 1989-2001; Associate Professor of English 1979-1988; Assistant Professor of English 1973-1979
Frank Graydon, Professor Emeritus of Accounting 1993; Professor of Accounting 1944–1950
Miguel Gonzalez-Gerth, Professor Emeritus of Spanish 2001; Professor of Spanish 1987-2001; Associate Professor of Spanish 1972-1987; Assistant Professor of Spanish 1965-1972
Norman Hackerman, Professor of Chemistry 1945–1970; Chairman of the Department of Chemistry 1952–1961
Forest G. Hill, Professor Emeritus of Economics 1986; Professor of Economics 1960-1986
R. Rolando Hinojosa-Smith, Professor of English 1981-present
Ira Iscoe, Professor of Psychology and Education 1966–1999; Professor of Psychology 1952–1966
Bryce Jordan, Professor and Chairman, Department of Music 1965–1968
Sharon H. Justice, Professor of Educational Administration 1977-present
Robert D. King, Professor of Linguistics 1973-present; Associate Professor of German Literature 1967-1973; Assistant Professor of German and Linguistics 1968-1969; Assistant Professor of German 1965-1967
William S. Livingston, Professor Emeritus of Government 2007; Professor of Government 1954–1995; Chairman of Department of Government 1966–1969
Hans M. Mark, Professor of Aerospace Engineering 1992–present
Reuben McDaniel, Professor of Management Science and Information Systems 1972–present; McCombs School of Business Professor of Management 1981–1995
John J. McKetta, Jr., Professor of Chemical Engineering 1946–1991
Stephen A. Monti, Professor of Chemistry 1979-present; Associate Professor of Chemistry 1971-1979; Assistant Professor of Chemistry 1967-1971
James R. Roach, Professor Emeritus of Government 1995; Director of Special Programs and Plan II 1965–69; Faculty member 1949–1987
Elspeth Rostow, Professor Emerita of American Studies and Government 1988; Professor of American Studies and Government, 1969–1988
John Silber, Professor of Philosophy 1955–1970
Eldon Sutton, Professor Emeritus of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology 2000; Professor of Molecular Genetics and Biology 1998–2000; Professor of Zoology 1960–1998
James W. Vick, Professor of Mathematics 1970–present
Donald Weismann, Professor Emeritus, Art History 1981; Head of the Department of Art 1954–1981; University Professor in the Arts 1954–1981
Paul B. Woodruff, Professor of Philosophy and Classics 1988-present; Associate Professor of Philosophy and Classics 1979-1988; Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Classics 1973-1979
Lewis Wright, Instructor in Accounting 1982–1984

Margaret C. Berry, Austin, Author and UT historian
Louis A. Beecherl, Dallas investor and rancher; Founder, chair and CEO of Texas Gas Corporation
Jack S. Blanton, Houston attorney; President of the Eddy Refining Company; The Blanton Museum of Art is named in his honor
Harold W. Billings, Austin, Author; former Director of General Libraries
Hal Box, Austin, Architect; Author; Professor Emeritus of Architecture 1998
John S. Chase, Houston architect; Former President, Texas Exes
Harley R. Clark, Dripping Springs, attorney; Former State District Judge for Travis County
Barbara Smith Conrad, Internationally recognized opera singer
Denton A. Cooley, M.D., Houston, Founder, Chief Surgeon and President Emeritus Texas Heart Institute
Frank W. Denius, Austin attorney, one of the most decorated veterans of World War II; Former President, Texas Exes
Larry R. Faulkner, Houston and Austin, UT President Emeritus
Betty Sue Flowers, New York, Poet; Author; Professor Emeritus of English 2009
Miguel Gonzalez-Gerth, Austin, Poet; Author; Professor Emeritus of Spanish 2001
Joseph D. Jamail, Houston, attorney; philanthropist
Bryce Jordan, Austin, former President of UT Dallas; President Emeritus of Pennsylvania State University
Forest G. Hill, Austin, Professor Emeritus of Economics 1986
James L. Hill, Austin, Senior Vice President UT Austin
R. Rolando Hinojosa-Smith, Austin, Internationally acclaimed writer; Professor of English
Elizabeth Woodward Jones, Dallas, daughter of former member of the Board of Regents, D. K. Woodward
Thos. H. Law, Fort Worth attorney
Amy Jo Long, Austin, Director, UT News & Information Service 1969–1985
Wales H. Madden, Jr., Amarillo attorney; Chairman of the Centennial Commission 1981–1983; Member of the Committee of 75 and Commission of 125; Former President, Texas Exes
Beryl Buckley Milburn, Austin, Member of Commission of 125 and Centennial Commission; Chair, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the UT Development Board; artist; active in civic and political affairs
Mario E. Ramirez, M.D., McAllen, Family Medicine practice; Member Centennial Commission 1981–1983; Vice President, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 1995–2007
Max Sherman, Austin, Author and Policy consultant
Eldon Sutton, Austin, Professor Emeritus of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology 2000
Larry Temple, Austin attorney; Former Chair, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the UT Development Board; Former President, Texas Exes; Special Counsel to President Lyndon Johnson